Santa Clara County Crop Report … · In Santa Clara County, there are 425 nursery businesses, including over 70 nursery producers. Nurseries in Santa Clara produce cut flowers, coniferous

CROP REPORT 2018Santa Clara County

2 3CROP REPORT CROP REPORT

It is my pleasure to present the 2018 Santa Clara County Crop Report. The efforts of our agricultural industry are displayed as the acreage, yield and gross value of commodities

produced in Santa Clara County. It is important to note that the values presented in this report are gross values and do not reflect net profits or losses to our agricultural producers.

The gross value of Santa Clara County’s agricultural production for 2018 is $295,837,000, a decrease of 6.5 percent from the 2017 value of $316,524,000.

After many years, the County’s top two crops have changed positions with the number one crop in 2018 now being mushrooms with a gross value of $82,468,000. Mushroom production saw an increase in crop value per ton. Nursery crops saw a very slight decrease from 2017 with a 2018 value of $80,776,000. Lettuce crops continued in the number three position, for the second year in a row, with a value of $17,550,000. In 2018, 21 different agricultural commodities grown in Santa Clara County exceeded $1,000,000 in crop value.

The biggest change is a dramatic decrease in the 2018 cherry crop. After a stellar 2017, the 2018 value saw an 82 percent decrease in overall value due to weather-related issues primarily. Only 369 acres of the cherries were reported as harvested with a yield of 0.5 tons per acre.

This year’s Crop Report highlights the wide variety of nursery crops grown in Santa Clara County. We have over 70 production nurseries so I am unable to highlight them all. A complete list is at the end of this report.

I would like to express my gratitude for the continuing cooperation of all individuals, growers, and agencies who contribute the information necessary to prepare this report. I wish to thank my staff and in particular, Lori Oleson, Helena Roberts, Paulo Philippidis, Nidia Aguirre, Estela Cabral de Lara, Shayal Kumar, and Lucy Diekmann who made the publication of this report possible.

JOSEPH C. DEVINEY Agricultural CommissionerSealer of Weights & Measures

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENTOF FOOD & AGRICULTUREKaren Ross, Secretary

THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SANTA CLARA COUNTYMike Wasserman, District 1 Cindy Chavez, District 2Dave Cortese, District 3Susan Ellenberg, District 4S. Joséph Simitian, District 5

Agricultural CommissionerJoseph C. Deviney

Deputy CommissionerMichelle Thom, Eric Wylde

Supervising BiologistHelena Roberts

BiologistKristian Barbeau, Nancy Barrera, Sherrie Besson, Julius Calso, Jennifer Gracy, Marithza Hernandez, Shayal Kumar, Shannon Lundin, Ericka Mora, Mario Nunez, Lori Oleson, Nicholas Otterlei, Jennifer Pate, Paulo Philippidis, Karl Stagen, Mike Walker

Deputy Sealer of Weights & MeasuresStan Toy

Supervising Weights & Measures InspectorJustin Thieu

Weights & Measures InspectorErin Becker, Alec Fristad, Pablo Gomez, Martin Lobato, Elliot McIntosh, Regidor Maniquis, Chihn Nguyen, James Schilling, Daniel Tietze, Daniel Wong

Welcome!

Poinsettias from Headstart Nursery


C O N T E N T S

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12

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Nursery Beginnings

Vegetable Crops

Headstart Nursery, Livestock and Poultry Crops

Nursery Industry

Orchid Designs, Carman’s Nursery

Fruit and Nut Crops

Grass Farm, Field Crops

Million Dollar Crops

Boething Treeland Farms, Nursery Crops

Seed and Timber Crops

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12

20

10

18

16

24

08

14

22

Organic Agriculture, Production Nursery List

26Calla Lillies from Syngenta Flowers


in Santa Clara County

N URSERY BEGIN NINGS

The land was between Mission Santa Clara and

Pueblo de San José, south of the present-day San

José International Airport.

FOX NURSERIES (1853)

In 1853, Commodore Stockton sent a large stock of plants with Christopher Shelton and B.F. Fox (a botanist and professional nurseryman), to establish our first large scale production nursery on the Rancho Potrero de Santa Clara which is now South of the present-day San José International Airport. In addition to many varieties of fruit trees, the nursery stock included strawberry and asparagus plants, as well as a hive of honeybees–the first in California. The nursery was established in April 1853 and was, for a time, the major supplier of plant material in the Santa Clara Valley.

Left: Residence and Orchard of B.S. FoxAbove: Nursery of B.S. Fox


The gross value of Santa Clara County’s agricultural production for 2018 was $295,837,000.

Million Dollar Crops

Devil Mountain Nursery

Crop Year Value

1 Mushrooms 20182017

$82,511,000$74,659,000

2 Nursery Crops 20182017

$80,776,000$82,951,000

3 Lettuce (All) 20182017

$17,559,000$17,522,000

4 Peppers (Bell) 20182017

$14,610,000$13,264,000

5 Wine Grapes (All) 20182017

$10,658,000$10,067,000

6 Tomatoes (Fresh) 20182017

$10,573,000$13,456,000

7 Asian Vegetables 20182017

$8,822,000$8,876,000

8 Peppers (Wax and Chili) 20182017

$7,610,000$7,488,000

9 Beans (All) 20182017

$7,500,000$5,850,000

10 Corn 20182017

$6,943,000$7,039,000

11 Garlic 20182017

$5,477,000$5,441,000

12 Broccoli 20182017

$5,301,000$3,926,000

13 Spinach 20182017

$4,523,000$14,616,000

14 Salad Greens 20182017

$4,435,000$4,189,000

15 Range 20182017

$3,509,000$3,443,000

16 Seed Crops 20182017

$3,459,000$2,362,000

17 Steer and Heifers 20182017

$3,374,000$2,824,000

18 Tomatoes (Processing) 20182017

$1,408,000$1,352,000

19 Cabbage 20182017

$1,354,000$2,569,000

20 Timber 20182017

$1,100,000$1,545,000

21 Hay (Grain) 20182017

$1,032,000$1,114,000

Other Crops 2018 2017

$13,303,000 $21,892,000

TOTAL 20182017

$295,837,000$316,524,000


The nursery and floriculture industries are very important

to California’s economy. California ranks number one in the United States for its nursery and floriculture production and their combined value is approximately $3.5 billion annually. In 2017, within California, nursery ranks fifth in overall value behind grapes, milk, almonds, and cattle. The nursery industry is closely linked to the real estate industry because their crops are used for landscaping. California is the single largest market for lawn and garden products in the United States.Nursery Industry

in Santa Clara County

California ranks number one in the United States for its nursery and floriculture production and their combined value is approximately $3.5 billion annually.

Maria de la Fuente, PhDUniversity of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor

plants, cacti, succulents, deciduous fruit and nut trees, grape and kiwi vines, citrus, tropical/subtropical fruit trees, strawberry, brambleberries, vegetables, sod/turfgrass, groundcover and palms. Like all businesses in Silicon Valley, our nursery producers are sophisticated

In Santa Clara County, there are 425 nursery businesses, including over 70 nursery producers. Nurseries in Santa Clara produce cut flowers, coniferous and broad-leaf evergreens, deciduous shrubs, roses, herbaceous ornamentals, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, pips, decorative

Almost 60 percent of fresh-cut flowers grown in the United

States come from California.

Left: Geraniums at Gilroy Young PlantsAbove: Pernial Color at Central WholesaleBelow: Hydrangeaus at Gilroy Young Plants

and high tech. They need to stay up-to-date on production techniques, cultural practices, irrigation, Integrated Pest Management, nutrient and fertilizer management, and safe and efficient use of pesticides. They also evaluate the impact of their activities on the environment to protect water, air and soil quality.


Vegetable CropsItem Year Har-

vested Acreage

Tons/Acre

Production Total Tons

Value Per Unit

Value

Asian Vegetables 20182017

731725

20.721.9

15,131.715,877.5

$583$559

$8,822,000$8,876,000

Beans 20182017

1,306920

3.44.1

4,440.43,772.0

$1,689$1,551

$7,500,000$5,850,000

Broccoli 20182017

595684

9.66.5

5,712.04,446.0

$928$883

$5,301,000$3,926,000

Cabbage 20182017

127415

20.713.2

2,628.95,478.0

$515$469

$1,354,000$2,569,000

Corn 20182017

1,4141,657

10.09.0

14,140.014,913.0

$491$472

$6,943,000$7,039,000

Garlic 20182017

598761

7.15.1

4,245.83,881.1

$1,290$1,402

$5,477,000$5,441,000

Salad Greens* 20182017

7161,037

6.84.4

4,868.84,562.8

$911$918

$4,435,000$4,189,000

Lettuce (Romaine, Leaf, Head)

20182017

2,3492,106

14.614.7

34,295.430,958.2

$512$566

$17,559,000$17,522,000

Mushrooms 20182017

144145

122.2124.7

17,596.818,081.5

$4,689$4,129

$82,511,000 $74,659.000

Onions (Dry) 20182017

7123

14.36.4

1,015.3147.2

$640$1,000

$650,000$147,000

Peppers (Bell) 20182017

1,0721,221

35.428.3

37,948.834,554.3

$385$384

$14,610,000$13,269,000

Peppers (Wax and Chili)

20182017

418596

33.124.3

13,835.814,482.8

$550$517

$7,610,000$7,488,000

Spinach 20182017

6761,082

5.48.8

3,650.49,521.6

$1,239$1,535

$4,523,000$14,616,000

Squash 20182017

217163

4.96.4

1,063.31,043.2

$617$555

$656,000$579,000

Tomatoes (Fresh) 20182017

1,000941

22.426.0

22,400.024,466.0

$472$550

$10,573,000$13,456,000

Tomatoes (Processed)

20182017

348322

57.056.0

19,836.018,032.0

$71$75

$1,408,000$1,352,000

Miscellaneous** 20182017

9611,532

--------

------------

--------

$7,252,000$15,928,000

TOTAL 20182017

12,74315,193

--------

--------

--------

$187,184,000$206,348,000

*Arugula, Endive, Frisee, Mizuna, Mustard, Radicchio, Spring Mix, Swiss Chard**Artichokes, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Herbs, Parsley, Pumpkins, Shallots, etc.


Boething Treeland Farms

One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions.

Boething Treeland Farms nursery was established in 1952 by John and Sue Boething in Southern California. Thirty

years ago, they opened another location on Alpine Road in Santa Clara County. It remains a family-owned business that is now operated by second and third-generation family members.

Boething is a wholesale nursery with over 500 acres of production land throughout California. Their focus is on trees and shrubs and they propagate 90 percent of their nursery stock. At their Santa Clara County location, they produce many native plants and about 60 percent of their plants are low water usage varieties.

According to manager Haydi Danielson, the biggest challenges the nursery has faced in the last decade have been labor and water. A key philosophy of Boething, since its founding, has been hiring and maintaining a stable workforce. Danielson says some employees have been with the company for 30 years. Automation and new technologies help the nursery deal with water shortages.

As for the future, Danielson says planning for what a changing climate will look like and what plants will be suited to those climates is difficult to predict, but she is confident in the future of California nursery industry because she knows the public continues to appreciate and invest in trees and plants.

During the 1600s, tulips were so valuable that their bulbs were

worth more than gold.

Right: Kangaroo Paw under Arbutus unedo at Boething Treeland Farms

Item Year House (Sq. Ft)

Field Acres

Sold by Producers

Unit Value Per Unit

Total

Bedding Plants 2018 2017

1,805,0401,953,560

4238

1,441,5241,191,646

FlatsFlats

VariousVarious

$17,499,000$18,269,000

Christmas Trees

2018 2017

----------

277232

6,4955,610

TreeTree

$60$59

$392,000$329,000

Ornamental Trees (Roses and Shrubs)

2018 2017

201,400133,000

222204

2,263,2591,195,932

PlantsPlants

VariousVarious

$31,613,000$25,799,000

Herbaceous Perennials

2018 2017

1,805,800N/A

31N/A

528,320N/A

PlantsPlants

VariousVarious

$7,256,000N/A

Miscellaneous* 20182017**

2,296,8002,219,120

187185

----------

----------

----------

$24,016,000$38,554,000

TOTAL 20182017

----------

----------

----------

----------

----------

$80,776,000$82,951,000

*Includes: Indoor Decoratives, Orchids, Propagative Materials, Turf, Succulents, Vegetable Plants, Floral Crops (Cut Flowers), etc.**Includes: Herbaceous Perennials

Nursery Crops


Gala AppleBelow and Right: Walnutsat Yuki Farms

Fruit and Nut Crops

Item Year Harvested Acreage

Tons per Acre

Production Total Tons

Value per Unit

Total

Apricots20182017

147149

2.11.2

308.7178.8

$1,331$1,168

$411,000$209,000

Cherries20182017

369980

0.54.5

184.54,410

$3,298$2,538

$608,000$11,193,000

Wine Grapes (White)20182017

491481

4.33.3

2,111.31,587.3

1,383$1,467

$2,920,000$2,329,000

Wine Grapes (Red) 20182017

1,1821,120

3.53.5

4,1373,920

$2,010$1,974

$7,738,000$7,738,000

Total Red and White20182017

1,6731,601

----------

----------

----------

$10,658,000$10,067,000

Walnuts20182017

243236

1.01.0

243236

$2,777$3,237

$675,000$764,000

Miscellaneous*20182017

245248

----------

----------

----------

$2,311,000$2,352,000

TOTAL 20182017

2,6773,214

----------

----------

----------

$14,663,000$24,585,000

*Includes: Apples, Asian Pears, Bushberries, Kiwis, Nectarines, Olives, Peaches, Persimmons, Plums, Prunes, Strawberries, etc.


Angelic Nguyen has operated Orchard Designs for the last 18

years. Her love for orchids began in Vietnam, where her uncle owned an orchid nursery, and she would spend her after-school hours painting images of the flowers on silk with watercolors. What started as a hobby, quickly

grew into several thousand orchids and a business. Angelic runs her orchid-growing business at her San José home. Her orchids grow under four canopies in her yard and a greenhouse built by her husband.

Angelic travels the world to find new and exotic varieties of orchids from places such as Thailand and Australia. Despite her large assortment of orchid, she says, “There are more than 100,000 different kinds of orchids; I think I only have a few thousand.”

As big as Angelic’s backyard business might seem, she’s still a small grower excited about showing and growing her collection of orchids.

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Orchid Designs

Established in 1937, Carman’s Nursery has long been a part of

Santa Clara County history. Hugh Carman founded his first nursery at the corner of Bascom and Union Avenue in San José. After World War II, Ed, Hugh’s son, joined the family business and they began to grow and sell unusual plants. They were pioneers in the propagation of herbs and kiwi plants.

Nancy Shramm, Ed Carman’s daughter, continues the family

tradition of propagating and selling a variety of hard to find plants such as capers, Bonsai, and plants suitable for rock and railroad gardens (miniature landscapes around train sets). Carman’s Nursery is a one-person operation which allows Nancy to focus on the individual customer.

Reflecting on her family’s business and passion, Nancy Shramm states, “I think that attracting young people to horticulture is not only important for the industry

but necessary to the future of the planet. I have had a great life, growing up as a ‘nursery child’ and becoming the third-generation owner of Carman’s Nursery. Like the tee-shirt says, ‘You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy plants and that’s pretty much the same thing.’”

Carman’s Nursery


Item Year Number of Head

Production Total(Live Weight)

Unit Value Per Unit

Total

Steers and Heifers

20182017

3,5603,180

24,45021,556

CWTCWT

$138$131

$3,374,000$2,824,000

Cows and Bulls

20182017

572354

6,5783,771

CWTCWT

$74$69

$487,000$260,000

Miscellaneous* 20182017

----------

----------

----------

----------

$250,000$326,000

TOTAL 20182017

----------

----------

----------

----------

$4,111,000$3,410,000

*Includes: Chicken Eggs, Goats, Llamas, Pigs, Sheep, etc.

On February 1979, Steve Costa partnered with Don and Bill

Christopher and built six greenhouses in Gilroy to hold the new company’s first order of bell pepper transplants. Growing transplants for farmers was a new idea that turned out to have a bright future. Farmers can have terrible losses when starting plants from seeds directly in the field. A single rogue hot day, untimely rain or even birds can wipe out rows of plants. Providing a “plug” seedling

plant with fully established roots and a perfect blend of nutrients really turned out to give farmers a “head start.”

After that first successful season, and over time, they have continued to expand their product line to include a wide range of vegetables, ornamentals, and herbs. In 1993, Headstart Nursery was one of the first nurseries to be certified organic and now produces over 100 million certified organic transplants each year.

Also in 1993, they expanded into Coachella Valley to better serve their growing customer base. Adding a second location has given them the ability to grow plants for all their customers at any time of year.

Today Headstart Nursery has more than 1.5 million square feet of greenhouse space, employs about 200 people year-round, and grows more than 500 million plants every year.

Headstart Nursery Livestock and Poultry

Below: Seedlings at HeadstartAbove: Charolais Cattle

Nursery


FOREST CROPS

Item Year Produc-tion Total

Unit Total

Timber 20182017

1,1782,022

MBFMBF

$1,100,000$1,545,000

SEED CROPS

Crop Year Harvest Acreage

Total

Vegetable and Flower

20182017

634557

$3,459,000$2,362,000

Plants and trees can cut as much as 25% off your household’s energy consumption for cooling and heating. Just three properly placed trees can save an average

household between $100 and $250 in annual heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Seed and Timber Crops

* University of California Cooperative Extension

Above: Photo by Rebecca Schoenenberger, Water Wise Demonstration Garden, UCCE* Master GardnersRight: Devil Mountain Nursery

Due to the importance of water conservation in California, the University of California Agriculture Natural Resources division created the Water Use

Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) database and user manual, which provides evaluations of the irrigation and water needs for over 3,500 plant groups

used in California landscapes. Anyone interested in choosing a low water usage plant for a region can use this online database for guidance.

Water Use Classification of Landscape Species Database


Established in 1969 by William Y. Gil, Grass Farm has been producing

a variety of turfgrasses for the landscape market for 50 years.

In recent decades, recurring droughts have called attention to the amount of water consumed by Californians’ lawns. To help address this issue, Grass Farm follows the latest university turfgrass research and has participated

in field trials to see which turf varieties perform best in our region. Grass Farm is also a member of the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance, which evaluates how well different turfgrasses tolerate reduced water. Drawing on these resources, Grass Farm strives to produce turfgrass varieties that use less water and fertilizer and are acclimatized to Bay Area microclimates.

The Grass Farm remains a family-run business dedicated to using agriculture as a way to improve people’s lives and the urban environment. Some of the environmental benefits that turfgrass can provide include rainwater catchment, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and reduction of the urban heat island effect (when metropolitan areas have higher temperatures in cities than nearby rural areas).

Grass FarmItem Year Harvested

AcreageTons Per

AcreProduction

TotalUnit Value

Per UnitTotal

Hay (Grain) 20182017

3,5064,044

2.31.9

8,0647,684

TonTon

$128$145

$1,032,000$1,114,000

Pasture (Irrigated)

20182017

319349

----------

----------

AcreAcre

$220$220

$70,000$73,000

Range 20182017

269,953263,375

----------

----------

AcreAcre

$13$13

$3,509,000$3,424,000

Miscellaneous* 20182017

242495

----------

----------

----------

----------

$103,000$631,000

TOTAL 20182017

274,020268,263

----------

----------

----------

----------

$4,714,000$5,242,000

*Includes: Alfalfa, Triticale, etc.

Field Crops

G+G Alfalfa FieldLeft: Grass Farm


Santa Clara County had 34 Certified Famers’ Markets in 2018.

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Type of Organic Registrant

Number Registered

Producers 36

Handlers 16

Processors 0

Santa ClaraCountyProduction Nurseries

Adriana PetreAlive N SilkAll Tropical PalmsASKANNA USA Asun Trading Corp. Belgrow Big Trees NurseryBoething Treeland Farms, Inc.Bonfante Nurseries Bouquets of NatureCal Color Growers, LLCCalifornia Flower Shippers California Luxe Farm EnterprisesCalifornia Native Garden Foundation California Native Plant Society SCV NurseryCapitol Wholesale NurseryCarman's Nursery Central Wholesale Nursery Claribel RamirezCoyote Valley Nursery, Inc.Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden CenterEnrique DelgadilloEvergreen FarmGabilan Growers Garcia’s BegoniasGardeneur, LLC Gerd Schneider Nursery, LLC God's Little Acre

Grafting NurseryGrassroots Ecology Native Plant NurseryGreenfield Nursery Happy Face Nurery Headstart Nursery, Inc.Ivy Topiaries By Dee Jardines NurseryJC NurseryJK Nursery J.T. Bonsai Kawahara Nursery, Inc. Lakeside NurseryLinda Vista Native PlantsLithopsoides Love's TropicalsLucie Stern Community CenterManthey's Nursery Mellow's Nursery Mellow's Nursery and FarmsMenlo GrowersMoon Mountain Farms, LLC

Moon Valley NurseriesMorgan Hill Growers Myron T. Liggett, Jr.Nursery Beautiful PlantsOrchid DesignOur City Forest Prevost Ranch and Gardens Romans GardensRong Wang, YuJie GaoSecret GardensSave the BaySouth Pacific OrchidsSunrise Fine Jewelry & Plants The Grass FarmTree Movers, Inc.Tropical Reserve & Economical EducationUC Master Gardener Program Valle VerdeWestern Tree Nursery, Inc. Wiersig Garden Pants

28 CROP REPORT

Division of Agriculture Offices:

North County1553 Berger DriveBuidling 1San José, CA 95112(408) 918-4600

South County80 West Highland AvenueBuilding KSan Martin, CA 95046

www.sccagriculture.com

CROP REPORT 2018

Left and Front Page: Japanese Maples and Arbutus unedo

Documents

Santa Clara County Crop Report … · In Santa Clara County, there are 425 nursery businesses, including over 70 nursery producers. Nurseries in Santa Clara produce cut flowers, coniferous